Welsh Football Club
With Ryan Reynolds in the fourth division: AFC Wrexham celebrates Hollywood rise
Watch the video: Football fairy tale à la Hollywood: Actor Ryan Reynolds’ club celebrates promotion
STORY: The goalkeepers and midfielders of the Welsh AFC Wrexham were amazed when Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds asked them to hand in their jerseys in the middle of the press conference marking their promotion to the fourth English division. Although – strictly speaking, the promotion souvenirs already belong to Reynolds – the actor owns Wrexham together with colleague Rob McElhenney. After a win on Saturday, the club can no longer be knocked out of first place. The 158-year-old club faced financial failure several times. In November 2020, Reynolds and McElhenney bought the club after their offer received overwhelming support from the club’s circle of friends. Most of them must have scratched their heads in astonishment at the time. From then on everything began to change for the former mining town, at least in terms of sport. KELLY JONES, FAN “There’s nothing this town wants more than for this club to do better. We’ve all been with this club through thick and thin since we were this big, every single one of us here. And I say To them that today means everything to this city, everything. Absolutely unbelievable.” CLAIRE DENOVAN, FAN “There were ups and downs, we were down in the league and up in the league but Ryan and Rob came in and turned the club upside down, there’s been a lot of money coming into the club , but the support is just incredible. The players are a team. We’ve never had that at Wrexham. We’re delighted that they’re moving up to the new league.” ELLIOTTE REES, FAN “This is the happiest day of my life. I’ve seen Wrexham rise, I’ve waited 15 years. I’m dressed up as Deadpool because I lost a bet. This is the best day of my life. ”
AFC Wrexham celebrates its little football fairy tale – with Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney right in the middle. Congratulations on ascension also come from the heir to the throne.
Amidst the cheers of thousands of euphoric AFC Wrexham fans, Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds snatched the silver trophy for a kiss. “Everything I (wear) smells like champagne, beer and weed,” wrote the 46-year-old about the little Welsh football fairy tale and felt “still somewhere between giggling and sobbing”. A good two years after the takeover of the traditional club by Reynolds and his acting buddy Rob McElhenney, Wrexham rose to the fourth English division on Saturday.
Traditional club AFC Wrexham faced financial ruin
“This city and this sport are among the most romantic things in the world,” Reynolds (“Deadpool”) wrote on social media on Sunday. The 3-1 win against FC Boreham on the penultimate day of the National League, which made promotion perfect, was followed emotionally by the two club owners from North America in the stadium. “In the Hollywood world of illusion, all that glitters is not gold,” wrote the BBC – in small Wrexham, so the conclusion, but yes.
Founded in 1864, the north-east Wales club has come through tough times, and the entry of world-renowned investors came at the right time. Reynolds and McElhenney (“It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia”) had declared the project a matter close to their hearts – contrary to the rather anonymous donor habit in great English football. There was even royal praise for this on Saturday.
“Congratulations,” Prince William and Princess Kate tweeted at the club, “with such an amazing story looking forward to an exciting future in the Football League.” They concluded with: “You have made Wales proud.” As heir to the throne, William bears the title Prince of Wales.
Congratulations @Wrexham_AFC! A club with such amazing history, looking forward to a very exciting future back in the Football League. Doing Wales proud. W https://t.co/VGdF6GkFVw — The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) April 22, 2023
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Hollywood actor Paul Rudd is also rooting for the stadium
The football club from the small town with almost 70,000 inhabitants describes itself as the third oldest in the world and clearly benefits from the glamor and investments of the two film stars. On Saturday, buddy Paul Rudd (“Ant-Man”) was part of the party. “I’m not entirely sure I’ve come to terms with what happened tonight,” Reynolds told BT Sport. “I’m still a bit speechless.”
Ryan Reynolds (right) and his buddy Paul Rudd follow the game from the stands
© Martin Rickett / PA Wire / DPA
The fourth division, League Two, is part of professional football in England, and a 15-year dry spell ended for Wrexham on Saturday. But there is still a long way to go before the Premier League with the giants from London and Manchester. “What’s going through my mind right now is people kept asking at the beginning: why Wrexham, why Wrexham? What’s happening right now is exactly why,” Reynolds said. The wild ascension celebration was already raging on the lawn. Which fifth division professional can claim that pictures of him go around the (soccer) world like this.
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“We can hear what it means for this city,” said McElhenney to cheers from the fans. “The fact that we can experience this and be part of this community is the honor of life for me.” Wrexham are undefeated from first place in the National League with one game left. The Hollywood Club has 110 points, four more than Notts County in second place.
